Aeroplane



Aug. 19, 1930. G. o. KUNICKE 1,713,625

I AEROPLANE Filed July 12, 1929 l 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1 INVENTOR Geolye UiZoKumi/cke BY 31am/n ATTORN EYS wlTNEssEs y 1/IZWHM Aug. 119, 1930. G. o.KuNlcKE AEROPLANE `Filed July 12, 1929 2 Shams-Sheet` 2 WITNESSES BYMMM/argv? ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 19, 193@ GEORGE OTTO KUNICKE, OFDUNELLEN, NEW JERSEY AEROPLAN E Application filed July 12, 1929. SerialNo.- 377,861.

This invention relates to aeroplanes.

It is among they objects of the present inv veiition to provide a noveland improved aeroplane of simple and eflicient construction and welldesigned to meet the demands of economic manufacture.

It is a further object lof the present invention to provide anlaeroplane with novel and improved means for propelling the saine.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide anaeroplane-includingprd pelling means' which act to retard thedownwardmovement of the aeroplane in a nose dive.

It is a further object of the present invention to providean aeroplanehaving tudinallyextending passageway, together with means for closingthe rear end of the pas* A sageway softhat the same will act as aparachute to retard the downward movement of the plane.

Other objects and features of the present invention include thenovelcombination and interrelation ofthe parts whereby the wholeprovides a simple and improved construction.

Other objects ofthe present invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following specification taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of oneform of the present invention, withpporti'ons broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the motorportion and door portion insection; A Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device, and

Fig. 4 is adetail view of the door portion. Vwith the closure portionstherefor in closed position.

, Referring more particularly to the drawings, the invention includesthe conventional longitudinally-extending fuselage indicated by thenumeral 10, together with the transversely-extending 'front wing 11.TheA fuselage 10 preferably includes the usual windows l5 12 and thepilot seat and operating assembly generally indicated at 14. Thefuselage further includes at the tail end, the rudder 15, and is, in the'frcsent form of the invention, supported' by the wheel assemblyindicated by the numeral 16. It will be understood that the a longi-Ainvention is not confined to the specific type of fuselage hereinindicated and that the in-y vention is applicable to various forms ofboth land and watercrafts of either monoplane or biplaneconstruction.

Associated with the fuselage rearl of the.' driving compartment, thereis provided a pair of parallel longitudinally-extending air passageways17,' preferably formed by suitable housings 18 secured to the fuselage10. The outer side walls of tlie housings 18 are parallel to the-axis ofthe plane, whereby air passing therethrough willvhave'a direct freestraight path through the passageway.. The.

are ytapered to conform with the usual streamline taper of the fuselage10. The housings 18 are open at the front, as at 19, and at the rear, asat 20, whereby the construction provides a funnel-like passageway largerat its forward end and ldecreasing in crosssect-ion at its rearward end,but being of substantially uniform width throughout. For propelling thecraft, there is mounted in `each of the passageways 17,4 motor andpropeller assemblies, indicated at 21, and suitably controlled by 'thepilot, as at 14, wherebywith the motor and propellers runupper and lowerwalls of the passageways ning, air. will bef drawn iii through the for.

ward open end 19 ofthe passageway and will be expelled through therearward end 20.

i This construction provides a double efliciency for the propellersinthat they not only pull the craft forwardlyatthe propeller, but theexhaust-of the air at 20, due to the contour of the passageways, willfurther push the craft forwardly, thus increasing the ethcieney ofthe'propellers. f

The invention is, however, not confined to the use of thepropellers'within the housings 18, but it will be readily seen thatthedriving propellers may be mounted in other locations, if desired.Itswill be seen that regardless of the mount-ing. ofthe propellers, thespeed of the plane will act to cause a rapid passage of air through'thepassageways 17. A

y In case of emergency. such as' an uncon-` trolled nose dive, it isdesirable to provide means for retardingthe movement of the planethrough the air. This is accomplished upon the reel 30,

a'- nose d1ve,.the passageways 17 with their' V in reventin the changes,modifications and f 1. In an aeroplane,

Wa S17.

alle with ings mounted, on the fuselage, said passage-` in the presentinvention by meansof upper andlower pivoted closures 22 and 23,respectively." The upper closure 22 normally lies adjacent the uper wallof the passageway,

while the lower closure 28 is'adapted in nor' mal position to form thellower end wall of the passageway. The closures 22 and 23 are pivotallyassociated with the walls as at 24,-

to swing on horizontal axes and are pivotally movable by a pair ofinterengaging arms 25 associated with the Lower closure and 26associated with the upper closure. The pintle of the lower closureextends transversely to provide an operating link 27 which passesthrough the fuselage and which is provided within the fusela e with anoperating lever 28 connected in suitable manner as by a cable 29, to acontrolling pulley 30 mounted within the operators compartment. Thearrangement is such that when the cable 29 is wound about the'pulley 30,the lever 28 is rocked in counterclockwise direction, thus raising thelower closure 23, and, at the same time, rocking in counterclockwisedirection the arm 25, which by such rocking engages the arm 26 of theupper closure 22, thus causing the closure22 to be moved downwardly withthe u ward movement of the closure 23, Where y the two co-operate toclose or par tially close the rear end 20 of the-passagerom'theforegoing it will readily be seen that in the operation shouldthe an uncontrolled nose dive or 'if it should be desired for any reasonto retard the movement of the plane, the cable 29may be wound l thusclosing or partially closin the rear end of the passageways 17, where y.the passage 'of air therethrough will be retarded and the Vspeed of theplane will be materially cut down. It will be seen that in rear endsclosed, act virtually as arachutes rapid'descent o the craft.

r'om the oregoing itfwill readily be seen that the invention providesnovel andimproved construction which will materially increase the factorof safety of aircrafts.

Itfwillbe not confined to the specific structural details herein.enumerated and thatv numerous the full use of equivalents may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the presentyinvention as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: v

the combination with a fuselage and wing assembly, of a pair of heighttoward their rear,

-said closure members being arranged plane go into end of saidIpassageways, the passage( of air through said passageways beingcontrolled by closure members for said passageways, said closure membersbeing pivotally mounted in the rear end of the related passageway, saidclosure members being arranged for cooperative movement in response tocontrol by the pilot, said closure members having angularly associated 4whereby movement of one of said closure members will cause movement oftheother' closure member. y

2. In an aeroplane, the combination with a fuselage and wing assembly,of a pair of longitudinally-extending passageways parallel with thefuselage 'and formed by housings mounted on the fuselage, saidpassageways beine' of uniform Width and diminishing and motor propellerassemblies mounted in of said through by closure members for saidpassageways, said closure members being pivotally mount,- ed in the rearend of the related passa eway,

for cooperative movement, common means connected with one of the closuremembers of each passageway to operate them in unison, and coacting meanson the closure members of'each passageway causing one to move'inresponse to the other. I l

GEORGE OTTO KUNICKE.

understood that the invention is interengaging membersy the forwardenoll passageways, the passage of air said passageways being controlledllon l tudlnally extending (frassageways parthelfuselage an formed byheus;

propeller assemblies mounted in the forward

